Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.
These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!
In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!
I See Buildings Fall like Lightning
Author: Keiran Goddard
Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Genre: fiction
Page Count: 256 pages
Thanks so much to the author, Europa Editions, and Edelweiss+ for the gifted, advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
Told through the alternating perspectives of five childhood friends from the same housing estate in England, I See Buildings Fall like Lightning is a story about friendship, place, loss, addiction and the ways in which lives, minds, and bodies can be limited by material conditions; it also speaks powerfully to the ways in which humor, loyalty, and family can bestow meaning and life even in the toughest circumstances.
Only Rian has made it out of the estate and moved away to another city, but his money doesn’t stop him clinging to a vision of the past that is quickly slipping away.
Oli is fading by the day, drinking and snorting his way through the endless boredom.
Things are looking up for Conor, but he is never too far away from chaos.
Patrick and Shiv are as in love as ever, always the calm in the eye of the storm, but even they are rocked when old secrets begin to open new wounds.
Bold, ambitious, and stylistically striking, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning lays bare the economic, psychological, and spiritual impact of poverty, explores the redeeming and transforming beauty of friendship and examines the true limits of hope and forgiveness.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Due to hatred shared publicly by an employee under St. Martin’s Press, as well as a lack of action on the part of St. Martin’s Press, I am one of many readers and bookish content creators currently taking part in the #SpeakUpSMP boycott.
Therefore, while there are additional books that I am grateful to have received and that are being published this week, I will not be sharing anything about them at this time.
I look forward to sharing more about these books in the future, provided that the needs and demands of the boycott are met, and at that time I will update this post to include them.
For more information on the boycott, head to @ReadersForAccountability on TikTok.
I am so excited to have received another box from one of my favorite bookish subscription services, Once Upon a Book Club! This time I received the Young Adult box for the month of December, with the clue “Round Table Romance!”
Take a look below for information on the book and gifts that I received in this box and more – but keep in mind that there will be spoilers on the gifts!
Thanks so much to the folks over at Once Upon a Book Club for gifting me with this box! Check them out for yourself, and use my code TACKLINGTBR at check out for a discount!
About the Box
This Round Table Romance box was Once Upon a Book Club’s young adult box for the month of December! Each box contained a copy of the book, a bookplate/sticker with the author’s signature, and four wrapped gifts to tie into the book – bringing the book and reading experience to life!
Page 21
“He ducked just as the ink bottle smashed against the door next to his head; ink poured down the wood and pooled on the floor, soaking his boots.”
Black, scented Inkwell Bath Salts, from Camelot Co., in a themed, glass inkwell bottle.
Page 86
“’Good evening,’ he said from the floor. Gwen slammed her book shut and stood up.”
A hardcover copy of Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert.
Page 204
“She cast around for something to stop the bleeding; her half-finished embroidery was on the table by the fire, and she hesitated for a minute before tearing off a long strip of the pearly-white fabric and returning to Arthur so she could wrap his arm.”
A cream-colored linen scarf with embroidered florals in bright pinks, greens, and oranges, measuring 35×71”.
Page 325
“They both watched the cut black stone rotate slowly between them at the end of its chain.”
A cut crystal black tourmaline pendent on a silver necklace chain.
About the Book
Due to hatred shared publicly by an employee under St. Martin’s Press, as well as a lack of action on the part of St. Martin’s Press, I am one of many readers and bookish content creators currently taking part in the #SpeakUpSMP boycott.
Therefore, while I am very grateful to have received this book and box from Once Upon A Book Club, I will not be sharing the title or cover of the book at this time.
However you’ll find the author’s information is all still listed below – As this is only a marketing boycott, rather than a boycott on consumption, please feel free to still show the author all of your love and support!
I look forward to sharing more details about this book in the future, provided that the needs and demands of the boycott are met, and at that time I will update this post to include them.
For more information on the boycott, head to @ReadersForAccountability on TikTok.
About the Author
(Photo and bio taken from the author’s website, at the link below!)
Processed with VSCO with c7 preset
Lex Croucher grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet, and now lives in London with an elderly cat.
With a background in social media for NGOs, Lex now writes historical-ish rom coms for adults (REPUTATION, INFAMOUS) and historical fantasy rom coms for teenagers. GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE is their YA debut.
I am so excited to have received another box from one of my favorite bookish subscription services, Once Upon a Book Club! This time I received the Adult box for the month of September, with the clue “Murder, She Wrote!”
Take a look below for information on the book and gifts that I received in this box and more – but keep in mind that there will be spoilers on the gifts!
Thanks so much to the folks over at Once Upon a Book Club for gifting me with this box! Check them out for yourself, and use my code TACKLINGTBR at check out for a discount!
About the Box
This Murder, She Wrote box was Once Upon a Book Club’s adult box for the month of September! Each box contained a copy of the book, a bookplate/sticker with the author’s signature, and four wrapped gifts to tie into the book – bringing the book and reading experience to life!
Page 57
“‘Please. Anything in the wine rack is fair game. And we have an entire cellar to dig into if there’s nothing there that appeals.’ Brittany flicked her long hair over her shoulder and plucked a single almond off the board.”
A small serving tray for a charcuterie board made of açaí wood.
Page 100
“‘Actually, I think I’ll beg off too,’ Lydia said, slipping the dog-eared playing card between the pages of her book again and laying it down on the counter. A faded jester’s head peeked out over the top.”
A copy of The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz, with a dog-eared bookish playing card joker inside.
Page 342
“My fingers closed around the corkscrew in my pocket, its cool, sleek shape growing less and less reassuring by the moment. I flicked open the twisted strip of metal, pressing the pad of my thumb to the end, testing its sharpness.”
A gold toned corkscrew.
Page 375
“‘So?’ Vanessa tugged off her gigantic sunglasses to fix me with an expectant stare as I slipped into the passenger seat.”
A pair of oversized, black sunglasses with gold accents, with a brown carrying sleeve and lens wipe.
An ambitious screenwriter tries to solve her friend’s disappearance by recreating their fateful final girls’ trip in this riveting locked-room mystery from the author of All Dressed Up. A remote winery. A missing friend. And a bunch of sour grapes.
It should have been the perfect spring break. Five girlfriends. A remote winery on the Oregon coast. An infinite supply of delicious wine at their manicured fingertips. But then their center—beautiful, magnetic Vanessa Morales—vanished without a trace.
Emily Fischer was perhaps the last person to see her alive. But now, years later, Emily spots Vanessa’s doppelganger at a local café. At the end of her rope working a lucrative yet mind-numbing gig on a network sitcom, Emily is inspired to finally tell the story that’s been percolating inside her for so long: Vanessa’s story. But first, she needs to know what really happened on that fateful night. So she puts a brilliant scheme into motion.
She gets the girls together for a reunion weekend at the scene of the crime under the guise of reconnecting. There’s Brittany, Vanessa’s cousin and the inheritor of the winery; Paige, a former athlete, bullish yet easily manipulated; and Lydia, the wallflower of the group.
One of them knows the truth. But what have they each been hiding? And how much can Emily trust anything she learns from them… or even her own memories of Vanessa’s last days?
Suspenseful, propulsive, and interspersed with scenes from Emily’s blockbuster screenplay, Scenes of the Crime is an unforgettable mystery that examines culpability, the shiny rearview mirror of Hollywood storytelling, and the pitfalls of female friendship.
Review:
My full review will be added here and on Goodreads at a later date. Feel free to check back later!
About the Author
(Photo and bio taken from the author’s website, at the link below!)
Jilly Gagnon is currently based in Salem, Massachusetts, but is originally from Minnesota, a fact she’ll likely inform you of within minutes of meeting you. She is the author of Love You, Mean It; Scenes of the Crime; All Dressed Up; and #famous (a young adult novel).
She’s represented by Taylor Haggerty of Root Literary (for all fiction writing), nd Uwe Stender & Amelia Appel of Triada Literary (for works co-authored with Mike MacDonald).
You can connect with Jilly on Instagram. She’s an especially good conversation partner if you love amazing cocktails, terrible television, or talking to your cats.
Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.
These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!
In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!
Stars in Your Eyes
Author: Kacen Callender
Narrated by: André Santana, AJ Beckles, Dani Martineck, Hannah Church, Avi Roque, George Newbern, Patryce Williams, Sarah Mollo-Christensen & VyVy Nguyen
Thanks so much to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
The National Book Award-winning author of Felix Ever After delivers a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen—perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.
Logan Gray is Hollywood’s bad boy—a talented but troubled actor who the public loves to hate. Mattie Cole is an up‑and‑coming golden boy, adored by all but plagued by insecurities.
When Logan and Mattie are cast as leads in a new romantic film, Logan claims that Matt has “zero talent,” sending the film’s publicity into a nosedive. To create positive buzz, the two are persuaded into a fake‑dating scheme—but as the two actors get to know their new characters, real feelings start to develop.
As public scrutiny intensifies and old wounds resurface, the two must fight for their relationship and their love.
A heartfelt, hopeful, and nuanced story about identity, healing, and growth.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Love Interest
Author: Clare Gilmore
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction
Page Count: 335 pages
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Griffin (St. Martin’s Press) and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
A sparkling adversaries-to-lovers romcom set at a magazine publisher in Manhattan. When Casey and Alex are forced into proximity, they soon realize falling for each other is just as much of a risk and as it is a reward.
Casey Maitland has always preferred the reliability of numbers, despite growing up the daughter of two artistic souls. Now a twenty-four-year-old finance expert working in Manhattan, Casey wonders if the project manager opening at her company – magazine powerhouse LC Publications – is a sign from the universe to pursue a career with a little more sparkle. That is, until she’s passed over for the job in favor of the board chairman’s son.
Alex Harrison is handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic. Everybody loves him – except for Casey. But when the two are thrown on the same project, they both have something to prove. For Casey, it’s getting tapped for a transfer to the London office and fulfilling her dreams of travelling. For Alex, it’s successfully launching a brand that will impress his distant father.
As work meetings turn into after hours, Casey and Alex are drawn to each other again and again, but neither can avoid the messy secrets and corporate intrigue threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their workplace might change everything – including the dreams each of them is chasing.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Thanks so much to the author and Valentine PR for the gifted, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } My reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.
Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Magic, Fiction
Page Count:
Book Description from Goodreads:
From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker comes the third novel in her Fate and Flame series, an adult fantasy novel that should be read in series order.
“You betrayed your brother to steal a broken crown.”
The kingdom stands on the brink of chaos. Atticus’ grip on the realm is faltering, and as threats arise ever closer to home he is driven to increasingly desperate acts to hold onto power.
With Islor’s fate now in the balance, Zander stands to defend the Rift from the oncoming Ybarisan army. With the king’s forces scattered, he must risk unlikely new alliances.
And behind the walls of Ulysede, secrets wait for its new queen. Romeria knows that the paths of the hidden city will lead her to answers. But will they be enough to save the realm – or is their fate already sealed?
Review (5 Stars):
TW: Description of violence/murder/light gore/noncon sex
No surprise here, but I continue to absolutely LOVE and DEVOUR this series!
This book definitely hit the ground running – so I will say that not only do these books need to be read in series order, but also that if it’s been a while since you’ve read the previous books you may want to either consider a re-read or have a quick synopsis/recap handy! I had a tiny bit of trouble really getting into the groove at the beginning of this book because I was having to remind myself what had been happening, but once I caught back up the pace was running from the word go, and honestly didn’t stop until the final page. And honestly returning to this world and it’s characters truly felt like coming home.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, and have already done so frequently, but only if they are looking for a series! It’s worth saying again that these books absolutely need to be read and enjoyed in series order. I think that the best way to read this book would be curled up under a blanket during a big rain storm, listening to the rain on the windows, and with maybe a bottle of red wine.
Let the countdown to Summer 2024 begin for book 4!
Meet Kathleen:
K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.
She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.
Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.
These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!
In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!
The Summer Girl
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, New Adult
Page Count: 400 pages
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday… and maybe find herself a summer fling.
On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.
Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone… only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.
And maybe even something more.
As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.
Elle Kennedy’s next spicy and emotional romance in the blockbuster Avalon Bay series.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
Strip Tees is a fever dream of a memoir—Hunter S. Thompson meets Gloria Steinem—about a recent college graduate and what happens when her feminist ideals meet the real world.
At the start of the new millennium, LA is the place to be. Hipster is a new word on the scene. Lauren Conrad is living her Cinderella story on The Hills on millions of television sets across the country. Paris Hilton tells us “That’s hot” from behind the biggest sunglasses imaginable, while beautiful teenagers fight and fall in love in The O.C.
Into this most glittering of supposed utopias, Kate Flannery arrives with a Seven Sisters diploma in hand and a new job at an upstart clothing company called American Apparel. Kate throws herself into the work, determined to climb the corporate fashion ladder. Having a job at American Apparel also means being a part of the advertising campaigns themselves, stripping down in the name of feminism.
She slowly begins to lose herself in a landscape of rowdy sex-positivity, racy photo shoots, and a cult-like devotion to the unorthodox CEO and founder of the brand. The line between sexual liberation and exploitation quickly grows hazy, leading Kate to question the company’s ethics and wrestle with her own.
Strip Tees captures a moment in our recent past that’s already sepia toned in nostalgia, and also paints a timeless portrait of a young woman who must choose between what business demands and self-respect requires.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
This summer, meet your neighbors.
The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.
On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.
But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
The Anniversary
Author: Stephanie Bishop
Narrated by: Fiona Hampton
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Genre: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery
Audiobook Length: 11 hours 14 minutes
Thanks so much to Tantor Media, Inc. and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
For fans of Lisa Halliday and Susan Choi, The Anniversary is a simmering page-turner about an ascendant writer, the unresolved death of her husband, and what it takes to emerge on her own
Novelist J.B. Blackwood is on a cruise with her husband, Patrick, to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Her former professor, film director, and cult figure, Patrick is much older than J.B.. When they met, he seemed somehow ageless, as all gods appear in the eyes of those who worship them. But now his success is starting to wane and J.B. is on the cusp of winning a major literary prize. Her art has been forever overseen by him, now it may overshadow his.
For days they sail in the sun, nothing but dark water all around them. Then a storm hits and Patrick falls from the ship. J.B. is left alone, as the search for what happened to Patrick – and the truth about their marriage – begins.
Propulsive and fiercely intelligent, The Anniversary is exquisitely written with a swift and addictive plot. It’s a novel that asks: how legible, in the mind of the writer, is the line between reality and plot? How do we refuse the people we desire? And what is the cost, to ourselves, to others and to our art, if we don’t?
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Thanks so much to Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
Colson Whitehead continues his Harlem saga in a novel that summons 1970s New York in all its seedy glory.
It’s 1971. Trash piles up on the streets, crime is at an all-time high, the city is careening towards bankruptcy, and a shooting war has broken out between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army. Amidst this collective nervous breakdown furniture store owner and ex-fence Ray Carney tries to keep his head down and his business thriving. His days moving stolen goods around the city are over. It’s strictly the straight-and-narrow for him — until he needs Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter May and he decides to hit up his old police contact Munson, fixer extraordinaire. But Munson has his own favors to ask of Carney and staying out of the game gets a lot more complicated – and deadly.
1973. The counter-culture has created a new generation, the old ways are being overthrown, but there is one constant, Pepper, Carney’s endearingly violent partner in crime. It’s getting harder to put together a reliable crew for hijackings, heists, and assorted felonies, so Pepper takes on a side gig doing security on a Blaxploitation shoot in Harlem. He finds himself in a freaky world of Hollywood stars, up-and-coming comedians, and celebrity drug dealers, in addition to the usual cast of hustlers, mobsters, and hit men. These adversaries underestimate the seasoned crook – to their regret.
1976. Harlem is burning, block by block, while the whole country is gearing up for Bicentennial celebrations. Carney is trying to come up with a July 4th ad he can live with. (“Two Hundred Years of Getting Away with It!”), while his wife Elizabeth is campaigning for her childhood friend, the former assistant D.A and rising politician Alexander Oakes. When a fire severely injures one of Carney’s tenants, he enlists Pepper to look into who may be behind it. Our crooked duo have to battle their way through a crumbling metropolis run by the shady, the violent, and the utterly corrupted.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.
These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!
In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!
The Sunset Crowd
Author: Karin Tanabe
Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Publication Date: July 4, 2023
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult
Page Count: 336 pages
Audiobook Length: 11 hours 9 minutes
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book, as well as to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audio copy!
Description from Goodreads:
From Rodeo Drive to the French Riviera, Karin Tanabe’s The Sunset Crowd is a tale of survival and reinvention, of faking it until you make it, and the glittering appeal of success and stardom, as it seeks to answer that timeless question―who gets to have the American dream?
Money and fame: in 1970’s Los Angeles, everyone is fighting to reach the top, but very few have the talent, ambition, and luck to get there.
Meet LA darling Evra Scott. The daughter of an Oscar-winning director and a Brazilian bombshell actress, Evra is the city’s reigning style queen. By day, she’s at the helm of Sunset on Sunset, the store beloved by Hollywood’s young and beautiful. By night, she’s on the arm of Kai de la Faire, Hawaii’s hottest export, and the screenwriter of the moment.
Enter Theodora Leigh. The twenty-something Paramount assistant looks like a big screen star, but her sights are firmly set behind the scenes, as she fights to become a movie producer in a town where sex and sexism sell. Theodora’s got the talent and instincts, but she’s not willing to wait. Luckily, getting ahead by any means necessary is LA’s mantra.
Observing it all is Bea Dupont, a photographer for Rolling Stone and Vogue, who never misses the party, but always keeps to its fringes. A Manhattan blue blood turned West Coast bohemian, Bea holds Evra’s Sunset crowd together. She’s also Kai’s oldest friend, and she’s harbored a not-so-secret flame for him since they met at an elite Swiss boarding school.
But in Hollywood, no one stays on top forever. And it’s not long before Theodora’s unrelenting ambition sets in motion a dramatic quest for power in an industry that is as glamorous as it is duplicitous. From Rodeo Drive to the French Riviera, The Sunset Crowd is a tale of survival and reinvention, of faking it until you make it, and the glittering appeal of success and stardom, as it seeks to answer that timeless question–who gets to have the American dream?
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Thanks so much to HarperAudio and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this exciting re-release!
Description from Goodreads:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mariana Zapata’s most beloved book, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me—now with new exclusive content!
Vanessa Mazur refuses to feel bad for quitting—she knows she’s doing the right thing. The thankless job of personal assistant to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans for her life, and none of them include washing extra-large underwear one more day for a man who could never find it in him to tell her good morning, congratulate her on a job well done, or wish her a happy birthday—even when she was spending it working for him.
The legendary “Wall of Winnipeg” may be adored by thousands, but after two years Van has had enough.
But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door begging her to come back, she’s beyond shocked. Mr. Walled-Off Emotions is actually letting his guard down for once. And she’s even more dumbstruck when he explains that her job description is about to become even more outrageous: something that takes the “personal” in personal assistant to a whole new level.
What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.
These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!
In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!
Fatal Fudge Swirl
Author: Meri Allen
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction
Page Count: 320 pages
Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
A movie production brings drama―and murder―to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.
Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn’s kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.
But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long―each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Thanks so much to the author, Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
Game Warden Mike Bowditch’s engagement party is interrupted by the discovery of a gruesome double murder in Dead Man’s Wake, a new thriller from Edgar Award-winning author Paul Doiron.
On the evening of their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on a darkened lake. When they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a gruesome sight: a severed arm beneath the surface. As day breaks, the warden dive team recovers not one but two naked corpses: the dismembered man and the married woman with whom he was having an affair. Mike begins to suspect the swimmers’ deaths were not a senseless accident but a coldly calculated murder. Alone among his fellow officers, Mike begins to sense the involvement of a trained professional, smarter and more dangerous than any enemy he has faced. As Mike and Stacey get closer to identifying the killer, their own lives are suddenly put on the line, leading to a confrontation designed to silence them forever.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
The Wife App
Author: Carolyn Mackler
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Adult
Page Count: 368 pages
Thanks so much to the author, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
Because every wife deserves a happy ending.
Three best friends decide they’re finally done with their ex-husbands taking their work as wives and moms for granted. They’re ready to monetize the mental load, stick it to their exes, and have a wild ride in the process.
Lauren, mother of twins, wakes up one morning to her Wife Alarm Bells sounding. She sleuths on her husband’s phone and stumbles on a dirty secret that explodes her marriage. Madeline has it all—a penthouse apartment, a perfect daughter, and no-strings-attached romps with handsome men. When she learns that she might lose her child to her ex in England, it stirs up a decades-old personal tragedy. Sophie, with too much FOMO and never enough money, obsesses over her ex-husband’s Family 2.0—all while keeping her true desires hidden, even from herself.
It starts as a joke during a tipsy night out, as Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie rail against everything wives do for free. Let’s build an app that monetizes the mental load. And maybe get revenge on our exes in the process? Soon, the Wife App is born, and before long, it’s the fastest growing start-up in New York City. But then life intervenes. Love intervenes. Ex-husbands intervene. And the consequences are bigger than anything Lauren, Madeline, or Sophie could have expected. Carolyn Mackler marks her debut into adult fiction with a hilarious rollercoaster ride of revenge and redemption that is at once a send-up of modern marriage and a celebration of female friendship and love in all forms.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
The Rachel Incident
Author: Caroline O’Donoghue
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Adult, Coming of Age
Page Count: 304 pages
Thanks so much to the author, Knopf (Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor), and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
A brilliantly funny novel about friends, lovers, Ireland in chaos, and a young woman desperately trying to manage all three
Rachel is a student working at a bookstore when she meets James, and it’s love at first sight. Effervescent and insistently heterosexual, James soon invites Rachel to be his roommate and the two begin a friendship that changes the course of both their lives forever. Together, they run riot through the streets of Cork city, trying to maintain a bohemian existence while the threat of the financial crash looms before them.
When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James helps her devise a reading at their local bookstore, with the goal that she might seduce him afterwards. But Fred has other desires. So begins a series of secrets and compromises that intertwine the fates of James, Rachel, Fred, and Fred’s glamorous, well-connected, bourgeois wife. Aching with unrequited love, shot through with delicious, sparkling humor, The Rachel Incident is a triumph.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.
These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!
In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!
Thanks so much to the author, Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door in a chilling story of murder and intrigue set in a well-to-do DC suburb.
Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…
When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.
But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.
In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
In 1942, Hazel Francis left Wichita, Kansas for California, determined to do her part for the war effort. At Douglas Aircraft, she became one of many “Rosie the Riveters,” helping construct bombers for the U. S. military. But now the war is over, men have returned to their factory jobs, and women like Hazel have been dismissed, expected to return home to become wives and mothers.
Unwilling to be forced into a traditional woman’s role in the Midwest, Hazel remains on the west coast, and finds herself in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as an assistant to famous artist Hanson Radcliff. Beloved by the locals for his contributions to the art scene and respected by the critics, Radcliff lives under the shadow of a decades old scandal that haunts him.
Working hard to stay on her cantankerous employer’s good side, Hazel becomes a valued member of the community. She never expected to fall in love with the rhythms of life in Laguna, nor did she expect to find a kindred spirit in Jimmy, the hotel bartender whose friendship promises something more. But Hazel still wants to work with airplanes—maybe even learn to fly one someday. Torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted, she is unsure if giving herself over to Laguna is what her heart truly wants.
20% Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)
Review:
(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)
Piece of Cake
Authors: Mary Hollis Huddleston & Asher Fogle Paul
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary
Audiobook Length: 9 hours 5 minutes
Thanks so much to Harper Muse and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
She’s only trying to save her job and her reputation. Claire Sommers grew up as a society girl destined to have it tasteful Dallas mansion, high-powered career, hot and rich husband. Until a massive mistake left her reputation in tatters and trust fund frozen. Now the former debutante is scraping by as a magazine staffer in Nashville—trading in her diamonds and designer stilettos for rhinestones and cowgirl boots.
But all is not well in the world of print publications. Piece of Cak e, the beloved Southern wedding magazine where Claire works, is one issue away from going under. Thankfully, Claire has a plan to save the day and the magazine—a reality show–style docuseries on the South’s most over-the-top and outlandish nuptials. And with country music royalty, Elvis impersonators, and enough drama to make your momma faint, it just so happens that Tennessee is the perfect setting for unscripted wedding day magic. Her boss loves Claire’s idea so much that she even brings in “The Brides’ Man,” New York native and social media star Dominic Gravino, to partner with Claire on the project, despite her protestations.
Dominic’s East Coast confidence and charisma clash with Claire’s Southern breeding and independent spirit as the two unlikely collaborators attempt to create a series that will save Piece of Cake . But in between million-dollar weddings, two-stepping bachelorette parties, and hot chicken fiascos, Claire and Dom discover they make a great team . . . on and off the job. But letting go of old hurts is harder than she imagines, and soon Claire realizes that she must come to terms with what happened in her past if she’s ever going to embrace the present.
“. . . a laugh-out-loud peek into an alternate universe where weddings are a competitive sport and there’s no such thing as too much bling.” —Yvette Manessis Corporon, international bestselling author
20% Review:
I am at 20% almost exactly, but I’m definitely not ready to start yet! As someone who works in event planning and is also obsessed with weddings, I’m already a fan of our female lead, Claire – and her southern accent is so sweet! I’m enjoying this one, story and narration, a ton so far.
Thanks so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book!
Description from Goodreads:
From beloved yogi, teacher, and artist Elena Brower comes the writer’s debut collection of a lyrical exploration of grief, self-compassion, and learning from the past to navigate life’s challenges with grace.
Softening Time is both autobiography and self-help, poetry and inspiration. Drawing on events in her own life, particularly her experiences as a mother, daughter, sister, and friend, Brower writes poignantly on themes of love, loss, healing, and rebirth.
Punctuating her work with themed quotations from a wide variety of celebrated writers and thinkers, Brower guides the reader along an intimate journey of both deepening and “softening” self-awareness.
20% Review:
Since this is such a short collection of poems, it is very easy to listen to the audiobook in one go – so I will not be including a 20% review. Feel free to take a look at my full thoughts through the link below!
Thanks so much to the author, Penguin Random House Audio, and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } My reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.
Publication Date: June 13, 2023
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction
Audiobook Length: 12 hours 33 minutes
TW: description of sexual harassment, controlling behaviors and gaslighting
Alright, full disclosure – The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain are both sitting and smiling at me from my bookshelf as I write this, but I have yet to read either one. So while they are all very much different sides of the same thought and spiritual successors of the ones before, I will be talking about Love, Theoretically purely as a stand alone story. That being said, I have also seen a bit of talk online about how these three books are very similar, and some readers are taking issue with that, or enjoying the book less for it. Since this is the first of them that I’m reading, I won’t be including any of that either.
Now that all of that is out of the way, I really enjoyed it!
While I have not ever considered a career in STEM (my brain just does NOT work that way, and I tend to think that most folks in STEM are actually wizards of some sort), I could really find myself relating a lot to Elsie in a lot of ways. Throughout the story she tends to change seemingly small things about herself or shifting her personality in order to fit into groups or situations – I used to do a lot of that when I was younger, and still feel myself doing it subconsciously every once in a while, so I found it a really fun aspect of her character to read about.
I also can’t review this book without mentioning that I listened to it on audio, and the audiobook was wonderful! The narrator’s voice is so lovely, and I thought that she did a really wonderful job with separating the different characters in any given scene. You aren’t going to be fooled into thinking that it’s a full movie cast or anything like that, but I didn’t have any problems with knowing which character was talking which can sometimes be an issue. Definitely recommend it in an audio format!
Overall I thought that this book was a really fun, fairly light and quick listen, and I would definitely recommend it to friends and fellow readers. I think that the best way to read this book would be sitting in a park or a cafe with plenty of opportunities to people-watch – I’m not sure why, but that’s what Elsie’s personality matching made me want to do. Or you could do what I did and just listen to it during a slow day and a half of desk work!
Tackling TBR 